Giving advice or instruction or even delivering a prophetic Word from God are all things to be taken seriously. It is an honor to speak, to counsel, or give a person direction for their life, especially if they look to you as a source of wisdom and inspiration. But as I was praying before the Lord today, he spoke very plainly saying, "A spirit of pride has crept into the heart of the Believer. There are some who believe that only people they know can speak the truth to them." This struck me, because I have heard many people use the above phrase of my article: "not everyone has a right to speak into your life," they say, "only those who have earned the right to speak." So, I went to the Word of God to test this new saying, and not surprisingly, I found it to not be fully correct. Let's look at why:
In general, we know it is foolhardy to take advice from a foolish person:
Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others. Prov. 12:15 Here, there is no stipulation on a specific person, just that they are counted as wise for listening.
It is true that people who have a history with you can be more readily received as in the case of David and Nathan: So the Lord sent Nathan to David (Read the entire account 2 Samuel 12) to confront David concerning the sin of adultery and murder which David had not confessed to God.
But the question comes, "Does a person have to 'know' you to speak truth to you or offer advice?
Let's take a look:
Case #1 Namaan, the Servant, & The Prophet
2 Kings 5 1-3 Naaman
was general of the army under the king of Aram. He was important to his
master, who held him in the highest esteem because it was by him that God
had given victory to Aram: a truly great man, but afflicted with a
grievous skin disease. It so happened that Aram, on one of its raiding
expeditions against Israel, captured a young girl who became a maid to
Naaman’s wife. One day she said to her mistress, “Oh, if only my master
could meet the prophet of Samaria, he would be healed of his skin
disease.”
4 Naaman went straight to his master and reported what the girl from Israel had said.
5 “Well then, go,” said the king of Aram. “And I’ll send a letter of introduction to the king of Israel.”
So he went off, taking with him about 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothes.
6 Naaman
delivered the letter to the king of Israel. The letter read, “When you
get this letter, you’ll know that I’ve personally sent my servant Naaman
to you; heal him of his skin disease.”
Here is a case of a NO name servant that God uses as a CONNECTOR for Namaan, an important man in society to be healed. God further has to check Namaan's attitude with the prophet Elisha that he DID NOT KNOW to receive and act ON the instruction to be healed. (v.10-14)
Case #2 Eli & Samuel the Boy Prophet
1 Samuel 3
10 Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.”
11-14 God
said to Samuel, “Listen carefully. I’m getting ready to do something in
Israel that is going to shake everyone up and get their attention. The
time has come for me to bring down on Eli’s family everything I WARNED
him of, every last word of it. I’m letting him know that the time’s up.
I’m bringing judgment on his family for good. He knew what was going on,
that his sons were desecrating God’s name and God’s place, and he did
nothing to stop them. This is my sentence on the family of Eli: The evil
of Eli’s family can never be wiped out by sacrifice or offering.”
15 Samuel
stayed in bed until morning, then rose early and went about his duties,
opening the doors of the sanctuary, but he DREADED having to tell the
vision to Eli.
16 But then Eli summoned Samuel: “Samuel, my son!”
Samuel came running: “Yes? What can I do for you?”
17 “What
did he say? Tell it to me, all of it. Don’t suppress or soften one
word, as God is your judge! I want it all, word for word as he said it
to you.”
18 So Samuel told him, word for word. He held back nothing.
Eli said, “He is God. Let him do whatever he thinks best.”
Here is a case of a young boy who was raised in the temple, under corrupt leadership having to deliver a word to that leadership. Had Samuel 'earned' the right to speak into Eli's life, or his sons? In today's church, Samuel would be severely chastised and silenced for having the nerve to speak to his elders in such a way.
Case #3 Balaam & His Donkey
Numbers 22
20 God
came to Balaam that night and said, “Since these men have come all this
way to see you, go ahead and go with them. But make sure you do
absolutely nothing other than what I tell you.”
21-23 Balaam
got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went off with the
noblemen from Moab. As he was going, though, God’s anger flared. The
angel of God
stood in the road to block his way. Balaam was riding his donkey,
accompanied by his two servants. When the donkey saw the angel blocking
the road and brandishing a sword, she veered off the road into the
ditch. Balaam beat the donkey and got her back on the road.
24-25 But as they were going through a vineyard, with a fence on either side, the donkey again saw God’s angel blocking the way and veered into the fence, crushing Balaam’s foot against the fence. Balaam hit her again.
26-27 God’s
angel blocked the way yet again—a very narrow passage this time; there
was no getting through on the right or left. Seeing the angel, Balaam’s
donkey sat down under him. Balaam lost his temper; he beat the donkey
with his stick.
28 Then God gave speech to the donkey. She said to Balaam: “What have I ever done to you that you have beat me these three times?”
29 Balaam said, “Because you’ve been playing games with me! If I had a sword I would have killed you by now.”
30 The
donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your trusty donkey on whom you’ve
ridden for years right up until now? Have I ever done anything like this
to you before? Have I?”
He said, “No.”
31 Then God helped Balaam see what was going on: He saw God’s angel blocking the way, brandishing a sword. Balaam fell to the ground, his face in the dirt.
32-33 God’s
angel said to him: “Why have you beaten your poor donkey these three
times? I have come here to block your way because you’re getting way
ahead of yourself. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three
times. If she hadn’t, I would have killed you by this time, but not the
donkey. I would have let her off.”
34 Balaam said to God’s
angel, “I have sinned. I had no idea you were standing in the road
blocking my way. If you don’t like what I’m doing, I’ll head back.”
35 But God’s angel said to Balaam, “Go ahead and go with them. But only say what I tell you to say—absolutely no other word.”
And so Balaam continued to go with Balak’s nobles.
Now, this shold get your attention! The Donkey HAD EARNED the right to speak to Balaam and he was more spiritually discerning than the PROPHET!
Case #4 Macaiah, Jehosphaphat & the King of Israel
1 Kings 22 1-3 They
enjoyed three years of peace—no fighting between Aram and Israel. In
the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah had a meeting with the king of
Israel. Israel’s king remarked to his aides, “Do you realize that
Ramoth Gilead belongs to us, and we’re sitting around on our hands
instead of taking it back from the king of Aram?”
4-5 He turned to Jehoshaphat and said, “Will you join me in fighting for Ramoth Gilead?”
Jehoshaphat
said, “You bet. I’m with you all the way—my troops are your troops, my
horses are your horses.” He then continued, “But before you do anything,
ask God for guidance.”
6 The
king of Israel got the prophets together—all four hundred of them—and
put the question to them: “Should I attack Ramoth Gilead? Or should I
hold back?”
“Go for it,” they said. “God will hand it over to the king.”
7 But Jehoshaphat dragged his heels: “Is there still another prophet of God around here we can consult?”
8 The
king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “As a matter of fact, there is still
one such man. But I hate him. He never preaches anything good to me,
only doom, doom, doom—Micaiah son of Imlah.”
“The king shouldn’t talk about a prophet like that,” said Jehoshaphat.
9 So the king of Israel ordered one of his men, “On the double! Get Micaiah son of Imlah.”
Micaiah's consistently unfavorable word excluded him from the court of favorites.
So, let's tackle a few principles, now that you have read:
If Someone is coming to "speak into your life" that you don't Know or Maybe you feel has not "earned" the right to speak, consider:
1. If You've been tuning out God's warnings like Eli
2. If You've decided to go your own way, and God is still seeking to protect you from what is ahead like Balaam
3. If Your pride has gotten involved like Namaan
4. If You've come to disdain and treat those who are close to you as common, so your ear is dull to their advice like the King of Israel
If we will be honest, we have felt at least one of these ways at some point in time.
So, How do you RECEIVE a Word? I'm taking these tips right from the Father:
1. With Humility- move your pride out of the way
2. With Joy- God cares enough to speak to YOU- even if it is through a Donkey
3. With Reflection rather than immediate Defense: ask yourself, is this true? Cleave to what is GOOD
4. Thank the Person for their concern and desire to deliver the Word or advice
This may be their first time stepping out to hear God and be obedient. Even if it is not accurate, there is no need to crush their spirit (more on this later)
5. Let it Be Judged: have the person write or record what they have to share with you also as a record to put yourself in remembrance of what God has promised, said, or corrected in your life.
* Especially if this is a foretelling of what is to come
* Measure it against God's Word
* Measure it against God's assignment and plan for your life
* Bring it before TRUSTED counsel ( people who DO know You, if the person does not)
Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. Prov. 11:14
6. Finally, if it is NOT true, and has no bearing on your life, make the person aware. They may have heard correctly, but it may be for someone else, or simply out of season. Sometimes people project Words that are intended for themselves rather than others. Again, that is no reason to crush a person's spirit. You can gently, and lovingly correct them.
I'll share a brief experience here: I was 17 years old when I received my FIRST prophecy and did NOT understand it. The Prophet said, " One day, you are going to write books and they will touch the nations." Though I listened, I did NOT, absolutely DID NOT believe this guy. I thought he was TOTALLY off! How I wish I could find him to apologize! That was 1995. I wrote my first book in 2004 and this makes 10 years and I have written 3 books and 2 are in process.
WHY AM I SHARING THAT? I share to let you know we can be so quick to write off what GOD is saying and SEES in our future. The Lord has allowed me several times to prophesy babies in the womb, before it was possible to know, marriages, people who would write songs, and many of them said NO, I do not believe you. I simply smile and wait for God's Word to come to pass, and it has.
It's not about US, it is about God's foreordained purpose, and sometimes our attitude can determine our receptivity of his Promises.
Now, HOW DO YOU "GIVE" a WORD from the Lord?
1. With Humility- God has opened up another person's heart to you because He can trust you with it. This is a privilege and sadly has been abused in the Church.
2. Understand Timing & Season- both natural and spiritual. Sometimes the timing may be off (see my testimony above) God may have you to write something down, seal it, and hold it until his appointed time of life for that person. Be obedient. If you cannot discern timing or season, write it down and pray for God's direction for delivery. Your written word may be a confirmation later in that person's life.
3. Motive- check your motive. Examine your heart. Do I want to be seen delivering this "great word" to this "great person"?
4. Messenger- this goes back to #2- You may not be the one to deliver the message. It may be for you to intercede over it. God, you are showing me, x, y, and z...do I intervene or intercede?
5. Method- Some of the most serious prophecies I've ever had to deliver, in fact DREADED, were behind closed doors. There was no fan fare, conference crowd, or applause. Always seek God as to how a word should be delivered, and if you are a prophetic Pastor, it should not be through your Sunday Sermon. People will leave your ministry feeling attacked rather than strengthened. There is a difference between rebuke, correction, church discipline and prophetic word (another topic for another day).
Finally, the Father made this emphatically clear: JESUS earned the RIGHT to speak into the HEART of every man with his BLOOD!
IN closing, a person does not have to know you to speak into your life, and for some that can be why you do not receive their advice or Word, because they know you TOO well. Regardless of who speaks, let us have humility to hear, and discern, let us take it to the Father in prayer, and let us first seek to HEAR GOD and KNOW HIS VOICE above all others. This really does help us to know who is speaking from the Father versus their soul and flesh.
An Outrageous Church must be ready to Hear!
